Guide to Finding the Best Miata Coilovers for Your Needs

Zippy power in a small package is the Mazda Miata promise. Nearly three decades as a bestseller means that there are a lot of MX5s out there trying to fulfill this sales pitch.

Some Miata owners were happy enough with the stock setup and left it as is. But for the rest of us, modding our Miata can border on obsession and coilovers are a popular mod option.

For most people, a two-seat sports car can only fulfill the daily-driver role for a short stretch of their life, so Miatas get bumped to weekend car status. They also appear frequently in the secondhand market and are picked up by those looking for a starter track or drift day car.

For all of these activities, handling is a key element. Once you get past the debate about coilovers vs. lowering springs we expect you’re onboard with the idea that coilovers are the best-bang-for-your-buck route to a smoother driving Miata.

From value plays to street options to track performers, in this article you’ll find the best coilovers for your MX5.

Best Value and Cheap Miata Coilovers

If you’ve tracked down a 1990s Miata in decent shape you might wonder why you’d spend the cost of the car (or more) on a suspension upgrade. Fair enough. Pricewise, these are the best coilovers for your first or second generation Miata.

Equally, if you’re just getting started with mods for your later-generation MX5, there are some affordable options to begin with.

Yonaka made these coilovers for road driving that pushes the envelope, and the occasional track day.

What really sells this entry-level option for us is the ability to get 3-4” of ride height adjustment without altering the spring’s travel distance. If you’re after a low centre of gravity without the bruising, definitely include these coilovers on your shortlist.

Yonaka also makes a track-only version (with a 17% larger diameter piston). They’re very clear that this variant of the SPEC 2s are not road appropriate.

From Megan Racing comes this very good value set of coilovers. Their EZII Street Series coilovers offer the adjustability to let you jump back and forth from road to track.

This is one of the cheapest coilover options for your Mazda Miata that doesn’t sacrifice a ton on quality.

And, sure, Megan also makes a variant of the EZII for the current (ND) generation Miata. But if you’re going to pay to mod a nearly-new car, we’d rather see you go with something that will offer a more obvious improvement like the KW Variant 3.

These very much are your entry-level option. But if you’re rolling on twenty-year-old OEM suspension, chances are something is not working the way it should and you’ll notice a big improvement with Tein’s Street Basis Z coilovers.

As the name suggests, these are marketed to the sporty road driver. Because of the cost, Street Basis Zs are one of the best coilovers for a first-generation Miata that doesn’t see time on the track.

No damping adjustment and the need to change the spring’s range to adjust the ride height mean that this coilover probably won’t cut it for advanced drivers.

A small amount of assembly is required, but the included instructions are super helpful. Also, note that this is a bring-your-own top hats situation.

The Street Basis Z may be one of the best cheap Miata coilover options if you find yourself in need of replacement suspension, before you can afford a pricier upgrade.

Unlike many of the other options in this guide, Tein’s Street Basis Z coilovers don’t come with upper mounts.

These guys offer a step up from Tein’s Basis option for only a little bit more cash. For that extra cost, you get a 16-way dampening adjustment.

The Street Advance Z is also compatible with Tein’s EDFC control system so you get to digitally manage your damping from behind the wheel.

Street Advance Z’s can be controlled by Tein’s EDFC units.

A bit of assembly is required and you’ll still need to supply the top hats, but this remains one of the best value options for street driving.

Top Coilovers for Street Driven Miatas

A classic Miata is a fun car to drive and its broad popularity means that most of these cars will never see a track. If you’re sticking to the streets, these are the best coilovers for your MX5.

To a small minority, coilovers are thought of as a track-first mod. Obviously, handling is also important through winding roads even if you’re not on a pitched track or attempting a slalom course. Smooth cornering makes your MX5 a pleasure to drive.

Also, keep in mind that lowering your Mazda Miata’s centre of gravity will more evenly distribute weight front-to-back during acceleration and braking.

Street coilovers hold out the promise of a smoother ride that will keep your non-car-junkie partner from sending you to the doghouse.

Now we’re getting into intermediate territory — this offering by Godspeed still comes in near the bottom of the price range for Miata coilovers, but with a few more premium features. For instance, you get height adjustment independent from spring tension adjusters.

You’ll get the benefits of a lower centre of gravity and more tire contact through the corners and also a smoother street ride.

The rear shocks in the set have an extended 2.75” top-hat to help minimize the chance of a bottom-out too.

In the Flex Z part of the Tein range, we start to get into the level of quality that made the manufacturer’s reputation on the Japanese racing circuits. But we’re still certainly not at sky’s-the-limit prices.

These are definitely road-first coilovers (hence the twin-tube construction) but a midrange damping setting will still feel stiff and responsive. They’ll also work out for the occasional trip to the track with your Miata.

Put this down as one of the top options in the intermediate range of MX5 coilover options. We start to get advanced features (like 30 damping levels) for affordable prices. They are especially popular with Miata/MX5 enthusiasts in North America, the UK and Australia.

BC Racing’s kit comes with all the needed tools and a straightforward installation process. That accessible price means this is an upgrade from stock (or really basic entry level) for most, so the improvement is pretty huge.

The manufacturer can put together custom spring packages upon request, but for most the standard springs are perfect. Their concave lower locking ring keeps your springs where you want them, though we’ve never had any trouble with these rings moving around before.

Two factors earned Fortune Auto’s 500 series a spot on this list: They’re made in the US and come with an impressive five-year warranty. When the need arises they can be re-valved or rebuilt in the US.

Fortune Auto’s big claim to fame is their piston tech, which offers stiffer rebound force at lower speeds (when you want tight control through the corners) but a more adaptive, smoother ride at high speeds. It’s the best of both worlds.

We’re starting to drift into track-use territory here, but the spring rates are still forgiving enough to keep passengers happy on the streets.

Truly fine-tuned damping is the name of the game here. We’re edging into track-first territory with this one, but consider that those 36 levels of damping will also bring comfortable road driving into range.

You can also special order an asphalt rally option from Ksport.

Electroplating on the body makes this another great option if you’re concerned about rust and corrosion.

A limited release from the venerable Swedish kit manufacturer has been on the market for the MX5 since 2016. They put their dual flow valve tech on this model to make it as easy as possible to change from street to track mode.

And if you’re going to spend this much on your Miata’s suspension kit, you’re almost definitely after a faster track time. The idea here is that a variety of precise adjustments make that possible.

Here again, we are getting to a more expensive option, but worth it for these premium coilovers from KW. The kit delivers on that promise with separate adjustment options for rebound and compression that are operated independently.

That means you can tune the desired comfort level for your drive to and from the track without messing with the responsive handling.

The limited lifetime warranty is a real selling point for the KW V3s. As well, KW has targeted the later model years (post-2006) leaving the first two generations to the budget-friendly coilover manufacturers.

KW Variant 3 for ND Miata

The Best MX5 Coilovers

That’s a long, exhaustive list of coilover options for your Mazda Miata. All are worth recommending but this is the cream that rises to the top:

For performance amongst value MX5 coilovers:Yonaka Spec 2s are easy to recommend because they deliver performance, at a good price, without stripping out all of the core features.

Best coilovers for NA Miata:BC Racing’s BR kit will be a huge improvement over the weathered and worn OEM suspension on a classic Miata.

Best for street driving:Tein Flex Z and its twin-tube will deliver on the promise of a smooth ride for the daily driver crowd. Easy adjustments via the EDFC system are a fun novelty.

Dream coilovers: If money’s no limit, the Ohlins kit will give you the most to brag about. Its roadworthiness means your passenger will be able to hear you bragging.

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